If you polled a group of road cyclists about their least favorite weather condition, the most frequent answer would probably be wind. Hot, cold, and wet can all be dressed for, but wind is the great demoralizer. Getting buffeted all day from the side, or even worse, the front, can ruin any ride. You might trick yourself into believing that you are gaining training benefits by riding into the wind, but there is no fun or joy in constantly over-exerting yourself just to maintain a tolerable pace.
When you combine drizzle and cold weather with gusty winds, as Mongo experienced today, the ride becomes a chore and motivation wanes. I had intended to do a 50 mile ride on the SCT...I only did 42...reluctantly! LPE and I had the trail mostly to ourselves except for a five-mile smackdown with a surprisingly in good shape old dude on a Serotta.
Pilots of these vehicles hover at the fringes of douchiness...though they are usually strong cyclists. An original Serotta owner, who takes the time to design his ride around the contraption pictured above, is a much more serious opponent than the second hand/ eBay buyer who is willing to ride a bike that doesn't quite fit in order to rock the nameplate.
Mongo finished the day off with a trip to the backcountry on the Alva. I got in a few runs on some intermediate, semi-dry hills, but after some sketchy corners and involuntary powerslides, I called it an afternoon while I was still in one piece...But it was still fun!
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